The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-31
COMING WITH THEIR TENTS
The Seventh-Day Adventists Will Soon
Go Into Camp in This City.
Arrangements for the Gathering Which Will
Begin at the Exposition Grounds in About
Month-What the Adventists Believe.

ference of Indiana, is in the city, making ar
rangements for the annual conference and camp
meeting Of the denomination, which begins
Oct and CO ntnues until the 11tn. The meet
ing will be held at the Exposition grounds in
this city, and as the first gathering of the kind
ever held here it will be something Of a novelty.
Pitching tents will begin Sept %. and by the
date of opening the meeting it is expected to
have the ground handsomely arranged There
will be one hundred tents erected the ground.
There will also be large pavilion tent put mp.
IA by ia feet in size. with a seating capacity of
1000. 1t will be seated with opera chairs and
arranged in every way for the comfort of the au-
dience. There will also be boarding tent,
provision tent and a book tent, where the ltera-
ture of the denomin alton will be kept for sale.
The first week of the gathering will be COM
bined session of the camp-msetng and the an
nual State conference. Quite a number OF
promi emit members of the denomination from
other States will be present and deliver sermons.
Seven hundred members of the denomination
will go into camp.
The meeting will differ some from the camp
meetings Of other denominations 1t will be free
to all. The strictest discipline is observed on
the grounds, and almost perfect order is main
tanned. Captains appointed, and it
it is their duty to patrol the grounds
and preserve order. No smoking. drink
ing, or loud talking is allowed inside the camp
ing grounds. The gates are closed at o'clock
the lights put out. and all the campers
required to retire The last annual meeting was
held at Wabash and was attended by thousands
Of people every day.
The denomination is one of which little is
generally known in the religious world. With
reference to their history, Elder Covert said to a
Journal reporter last night: GAS denomination
we date our rise from about 1847. At present
we number about 900 in the United States.
We have 800 churches and 400 ministers. We
all parts of the world. We firmly believe
in the personal coming Of Christ, but
have no date fixed for that event.
We believe that the seventh day is the Sabbath
as desi Rnated by Christ. and such observe it
as our Sabbath. We base our belief upon the
commandment, Remember the Sabbath day
TO keep 1t holy. Six days shalt thou labor, but
the seventh day is the Lords thy Gods We
are Adventists because we believe in the soon
coming of Jesus Christ. We have sympathy
with timesetters. and do pretend know
when He will come. The foolish timesettine
movements of First-day Adventists have
brought reproach upon the Advent name and
disguised many people with 1t. Our faith In re-
gard to the objects God had in creating the
world is that he made it for man. and that it
will be preserved for mankind. We believe that
the world is to be everlasting and that eventu-
ally it will be restored to the elorifed, and be
city OF the New Jerusalem, which is typical,
will descend from heaven upon the earth finally,
and that it will become the metropolis of
believe that 1s'' # the earth attn' should
be utterly destroyed. Gods purpose would be
defeated, for He evidently intended that it
should be eternally inhabited by human beings.
Our organization is very simple. The Bible is
our only creed. A clerk is chosen TO keep the
records of the church, and an elder elected by a
vote of the church is ordained to look after its
spiritual interests. If church is large its
temporal affairs are assigned to one or more
deacons, chosen by a vote OF the church for that
purpose. We claim that the title. Reverend
should never be applied to man. 1t is found
but once in the Bible. We recognize the Ten
Commandments to be of supreme authority.
We believe in a change of heart called CONVEX
sion. similar to the faith OF the orthodox
churches. Immersion is the only mode of bap-
tism recognized by us. We believe that the
coming generation will witness the coming of
the Lord and the end of all things temporal.
We have distinctive temperance worK. and
have societies who devote their entire energies
to the inculcation of temperance principles.
We pay attention to the hygienic principle of
temperance: and believe it to be OF supreme i'm.
portance. We make the use of tobacco test of
membership, and eat pork, believing that it
is injurious in different ways"
The Indiana branch of the denomination, Elder
Covert said organized in 1872. AT our
first meeting held in that year." said he, .tthere
were but seventeen persons present, and at the
first conference held there we're but seventy five
persons present. At present we have forty
eight churches in the State, with mem bership
of !, 200 The membership is pretty well scat
tered over the State but it is largely In the
north central part. particularly In Howard and
Grant Counties"
The denomination has been growing very rap
idly in this city during the last few years, and n
new house of worship and parsonage are now
in course of construction on Central avenue near
Home. The church is 40 by 81 feet in size. with
a wing 20 by 30 feet.
Speaking of the general work of the denomi-
nation, Mr. Covert said: I'VE have seven pub
fishing houses located at Battle Creek, Mich,
ha1y1- 81
Grimsby Eng; Basel, Switzerland ChristIana
Norway and Lumarlide, Victoria, Australia
The combined capital invested in the publishing
houses is half a million dollars. There are con.
stantly employed in the houses about thre6 hun
dred persons preparing books to be sent out to
the world. They publishing twenty-five
monthly circulation of these papers is some
thing over 250, 900 copies. The largest house is
at Battle Creek. Mich, which used during the
last year over 40 tons of paper. We have two
hourishiDg colleges, one at Battle Greek and one
at Healdsbureh, Cal. with hundreds of students
In attendance, besides other schools In
different States. Annually we send out
from these many missionaries to all parts
Of the world disseminating our peculiar points
of faith. We own and conduct the largest san
itarium in the world, located at Battle Creek
where we have treated more than III. 900 patients.
Another institution of similar character is the
Rural Home Bethel at St Helena, Cal 1t is
located on the side of Howell mountain 200
feet above the tide level.
"Ths year will hold about fifty camp
meetings sltnllar 10 INC one neiu III LniS piaco'
reaching from Maine to California. We always
hold these meetings in large towns or cities, and
many thousand people attend them. The same
rules governing the meetings observed all
over the United States. At A. NJ the bell
rings for the entire encampment to rise at $50
the morning meeting in the large pavilion is
held and the young peoples meeting is held at
the same hour; at o'clock the bell rings for
breakfast 8. family worship in the small tents;
$50 to II. meeting of the State conference,
health and temperance, or Sabbath-sc
Citations; p VI, dinner; 2:30. preaching: B. bust
ness or social meetings; 6, general meeting at
pavilion. and 9. lights out and every body to re-
tire"
days completing the arrangements for the OPEN
Ing of the meeting.
Governor Grays Job
Detroit Tribune.